26 November 2023, online
In the past decade, discussion of several subjects has become taboo on Indian campuses, such as terms like the Constitution or Democracy. Now, any discussion of the current situation in Palestine is being added to the list, especially in states controlled by the BJP. Students protesting against the ongoing genocide in Gaza have been prevented from assembling and have been arrested, classroom seminars have been subject to misinformation and media defamation, and academic speakers publicly vilified.
In the same time Indian foreign policy has significantly shifted from support for Palestine to close partnerships with Israel's apartheid regime, particularly in surveillance, militarisation and the technological aspects of disinformation flows. While the official position is still support for a two-state solution, the Indian government’s abstention from a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire overturned decades of foreign policy. Since 7 October 2023, Indian mainstream media has also used the current intensification of settler colonial strategies against Palestinians to further deepen Islamophobia within the country. However, the widespread protests in Kerala, which is not controlled by the BJP shows that the government position does not reflect the views of the people at large. sion of several subjects has become taboo on Indian campuses, such as terms like the Constitution or Democracy. Now, any discussion of the current situation in Palestine is being added to the list, especially in states controlled by the BJP. Students protesting against the ongoing genocide in Gaza have been prevented from assembling and have been arrested, classroom seminars have been subject to misinformation and media defamation, and academic speakers publicly vilified.
In the past decade Indian foreign policy has significantly shifted from support for Palestine to close partnerships with Israel's apartheid regime, particularly in surveillance, militarisation and the technological aspects of disinformation flows. While the official position is still support for a two-state solution, the Indian government’s abstention from a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire overturned decades of foreign policy. Since 7 October 2023, Indian mainstream media has also used the current intensification of settler colonial strategies against Palestinians to further deepen Islamophobia within the country. However, the widespread protests in Kerala, which is not controlled by the BJP shows that the government position does not reflect the views of the people at large. terms like the Constitution or Democracy. Now, any discussion of the current situation in Palestine is being added to the list, especially in states controlled by the BJP. Students protesting against the ongoing genocide in Gaza have been prevented from assembling and have been arrested, classroom seminars have been subject to misinformation and media defamation, and academic speakers publicly vilified.
In the past decade Indian foreign policy has significantly shifted from support for Palestine to close partnerships with Israel's apartheid regime, particularly in surveillance, militarisation and the technological aspects of disinformation flows. While the official position is still support for a two-state solution, the Indian government’s abstention from a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire overturned decades of foreign policy. Since 7 October 2023, Indian mainstream media has also used the current intensification of settler colonial strategies against Palestinians to further deepen Islamophobia within the country. However, the widespread protests in Kerala, which is not controlled by the BJP shows that the government position does not reflect the views of the people at large.
This event, jointly hosted by India Academic Freedom Network (IAFN) and International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India), discusses the way in which attempts to protest the total destruction of Gaza and call for a ceasefire, as well as academic discussions on the issue are being attacked and silenced in India, and indeed, across the world. It is essential for the academic community to be able to discuss situations like that in Palestine without restriction.
Song/Video Credits: Mat Ro Bachhe (Don't cry, child) is a musical interpretation of the poem “Philistini bacche ke liye Lori” (Lullaby for the Children of Palestine) by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, performed by the Indian rock band Dastaan Live (https://youtu.be/IWEXtSl9txE)